Gathering the Essence Blood, Returning to the Cave Abode to Refine Pills

Within the artifact-refining chamber of the Zichen Cave Abode, the spiritual energy was several times denser than usual. Primordial Unity True Fire blazed fiercely beneath the pill furnace, its flames a pure gold that bathed the entire space in warm light. Xuan Chen stood before the furnace, his expression solemn and dignified. On the stone platform before him sat ten bottles of ferocious beast essence blood, neatly arranged alongside dozens of heavenly treasures and earthly materials used to assist in pill refinement. They included Clearheart Herb for calming the mind, Spirit-Rhyme Flower for neutralizing Killing Intent, Profound Origin Crystal for stabilizing one's origin, and more.

"The first principles of pill refinement are fire control and proportioning." As Xuan Chen lifted the pill furnace lid, he spoke to Nüwa beside him. "This Myriad Spirits Essence-Blood Pill requires the essence blood of ten ferocious beasts as its core, supplemented by thirty-six auxiliary ingredients. One must stimulate the origin power within the essence blood while suppressing its fierce and baleful aura. The difficulty is extremely high. Watch carefully from the side, and commit the properties of every material and the timing of their addition to memory."

Nüwa nodded to show that she understood. Holding a jade booklet listing the ingredients, she watched with focused seriousness. For her, this pill refinement was not only an opportunity to await the elevation of her foundation, but also an excellent chance to learn the art of alchemy. Xuan Chen had long since told her the contents of the pill formula. She knew the proportions of the ten kinds of ferocious beast essence blood and the amounts of the auxiliary materials by heart, as thoroughly as if they were rolling off her tongue. Yet knowledge gained from paper always felt shallow in the end; it could never compare to seeing it with her own eyes and practicing it with her own hands.

Xuan Chen first picked up the jade bottle containing Qiongqi essence blood. A wisp of Primordial Unity Power curled around his fingertips, and with a light tap, the stopper sprang open on its own. The black essence blood, carrying dense fierce and baleful aura, was drawn by the Primordial Unity Power and slowly poured into the pill furnace. "Qiongqi essence blood is the source of innate Killing Intent. It must be refined first to remove thirty percent of its fierce balefulness." As he controlled the flames, he explained, "Fire control must be warm but not scorching. If the flames are too strong, they will burn away the origin of the essence blood; if they are too weak, they cannot refine its Killing Intent."

Nüwa stared unblinkingly at the changes within the furnace. Wrapped in golden flames, the black essence blood continuously churned and bubbled. Wisps of black mist rose from it and were absorbed by the Baleful Intent-Gathering Formation at the top of the furnace. She could clearly sense the fierce baleful aura within the essence blood gradually weakening, while its origin power became ever more condensed.

Next, Xuan Chen poured the essence blood of Taowu, Chisel-Tooth, Xisi, and the remaining nine ferocious beasts into the furnace one after another. The timing of each addition was precise, occurring exactly as the refinement of the previous essence blood was completed. "The proportions of essence blood require a step-by-step progression. The essence blood of innate ferocious beasts and ancient ferocious beasts must enter the furnace alternately to form a balance of yin and yang. Otherwise, the pill body will crack apart." As he explained, he cast auxiliary ingredients such as Clearheart Herb and Spirit-Rhyme Flower into the furnace in their proper ratios.

Nüwa assisted at the side, following Xuan Chen's instructions to add fuel from time to time and adjust the spiritual energy output of the Spirit-Gathering Formation. She discovered that pill refinement was far more complicated than she had imagined. Not only did one need to precisely control the flame's temperature, one also had to constantly monitor the changes in aura within the pill furnace. The slightest misstep could cause all previous efforts to come to nothing. Once, she added a little too much fuel, and the flames surged at once. The essence blood within the furnace immediately became restless and turbulent.

"Not good!" Nüwa's heart jolted. Just as she was about to intervene, Xuan Chen flicked his finger. A gentle stream of Primordial Unity Power entered the furnace and suppressed the surging flames. "The greatest taboo in pill refinement is impatience. Every movement must be steady, precise, and ruthless." Xuan Chen's tone remained calm. "When the flames grow too fierce, do not forcefully suppress them. Use softness to overcome hardness, and guide the excess firepower into refining power. Try again. This time, slow your movements and feel the response between the flames and the essence blood."

Nüwa took a deep breath and steadied herself before stepping forward to add fuel once more. This time, she did not rush to finish. Instead, she sank her divine sense into the pill furnace, carefully sensing the shifts in the flames' temperature and precisely controlling the amount of fuel she added. The fire burned steadily, and the aura within the furnace returned to calm.

"Very good." Approval appeared in Xuan Chen's eyes. "Pill refinement is not merely a technique; it is also a test of one's Dao heart. When the heart is steady, the pill is steady. When the heart is chaotic, the pill collapses. The same is true of cultivation and battle: the Dao heart comes first, and techniques follow after."

Over the next seven days, Xuan Chen controlled the pill furnace without rest, day and night, while Nüwa took turns assisting and observing at his side. She not only grew familiar with the properties of the various ingredients—for instance, Spirit-Rhyme Flower could neutralize fierce balefulness, while Profound Origin Crystal could stabilize one's origin—but also gained a preliminary grasp of the basic techniques of fire control and ingredient proportioning. Xuan Chen took the opportunity to teach her the core principle of pill refinement: "The way of pill refinement lies in the unity of Heaven and man. One must follow the innate nature of the materials and borrow the power of Heaven-and-Earth spiritual energy, transforming them into pills that contain the profound truths of the Great Dao, rather than forcibly changing the materials' properties and acting against the heavens."

Late on the seventh night, a faint hum suddenly sounded from within the pill furnace. A rich medicinal fragrance began to seep out, elegant at first, then increasingly mellow, until it filled the entire cave abode. When the living beings within the abode caught the scent, comfortable expressions appeared on their faces, and the circulation of spiritual energy within their bodies unconsciously quickened.

"The pill fragrance has formed. Next comes the crucial step of condensing the pill." Xuan Chen's expression turned grave. His hands rapidly formed seals, and Primordial Unity Origin Power flowed continuously from his body into the pill furnace like a babbling stream. "I must use my own Dao power to guide the pill body's condensation, ensuring that the origin power of the ten kinds of essence blood merges perfectly without conflict."

Nüwa held her breath and focused, staring fixedly at the pill furnace. She could distinctly feel that Xuan Chen's Dao power was like an invisible thread, tightly stringing together the various forces within the furnace. The essence-blood auras that had originally remained separate began to coil around one another and merge, forming an entirely new aura brimming with vigorous life force.